Chapter Text
Sokka stared down at the Fire Nation soldier who laid limp on the floor. His black sword was slick with the scarlet liquid dripping down. His face remained stone cold, though he could feel his face twitch the longer he stared at the dead body.
”Come on…”
Sokka flinched, whipping around with wide eyes. He held his sword up in front, ready to fight the next soldier.
”Who’s there?” He shouted, slowly walking down the dark hall.
His eyes widened in horror as he heard a chilling voice right behind him. ”You have blood on your hands.”
///
Sokka sat up, gasping for air in a cold sweat. That same nightmare. He swore under his breath as his eyes adjusted to the dark room. This is why he was always tired. He could never sleep well without it being disrupted.
Someone’s watching me. Who is it? I can hear you outside. What do you want?
He ran a hand through his hair as he slowly got up, grabbing his boomerang that was by his side. He silently stalked around his bed before crouching by the door. He held the boomerang up high, just above his head. If someone walked in, Sokka would leap and wham his boomerang right into the back of the person’s neck.
I can hear you. I have a boomerang. I have fought in the war. You are no match for-.
A singular and precise knock sent a chill up the boy’s spine. He felt beads of sweat starting to drip down his face. He tightened his grip on his boomerang before slowly pushing the door open.
I saw you! You can’t run.
He heard a low, child-like giggle echo down the hall. He barely caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure turn the corner. He held his boomerang in between his teeth as he quickly tied up his hair.
Intruder? Heh, they don’t know what they have gotten in.
He was silent on his feet, his boomerang in his hand and by his side. If an intruder got past Fire Nation guards, then Sokka was going to have to step up.
Heh, I’ll have such a story to tell in the morning.
Sokka turned the corner, a smug smirk on his face. He was already forming a whole sassy monologue when he found the intruder. But instead of finding an intruder, he found a hunched over figure. He raised an eyebrow.
Weird. What’s up with this guy?
”Hey…?” Sokka somewhat shouted. The figure seemed to not have heard him. A small frown formed on Sokka’s face as he slowly made his way closer to the hunched figure. The closer he got, the more he realized that the figure was crying?
What the hell? What do I do?
”Hey, you alright?” Sokka asked hesitantly.
He stood a few good paces away from the figure but was considering on getting closer. He didn’t have to. The figure slowly got up, swaying side to side. The other person began to make their way to Sokka, their head hung low.
Okay, they don’t seem to be a bender.
Sokka’s grip on his boomerang tightened as the figure came closer. Oddly enough, Sokka didn’t move. It felt like he couldn’t.
“Hello Sokka. Pleasure to meet you.” The figure chuckled as he lifted his head.
A shaky and horrified gasp left the other’s mouth. Sokka was staring at an identical figure of himself. Instead of the other having normal eyes however, the other ‘Sokka’ had black, empty sockets, black goo dripping down instead of blood.
Sokka’s stomach dropped as he watched the figure slowly getting closer, its eerie yet playful smile on its face. He felt his legs go weak and his mouth go dry. Echoing childrens’ laughter pounded into Sokka’s ears. The figure was about an arms length away when Sokka finally started to sprint away.
What is going on? Have I seen him before? Has he gotten the others? Where even am I? I-.
”Sokka?” A familiar voice echoed down the halls. Sokka screeched to a stop from his sprint. His head whipped to see Katara standing in the middle of the hall, a confused look on her face. “Why are you running?”
An exhausted and relieved sigh left the boy’s lips as he started his way towards his sister. “Katara, I-.”
”What is wrong with you?!” She yelled, her eyes going wide as water started rising from behind her.
”What?! What are you talking about?” Sokka exclaimed, startled at Katara’s sudden change. He looked down at his boomerang, which suddenly was coated in a dark and slick liquid. A lump formed in his throat as he saw her head hang low. In disappointment? In anger? In sadness?
I didn’t kill anyone! I didn’t attack anyone today! Is that blood?! Who ARE you?!
Sokka felt his words starting to get jumbled in his head. All he had was panic. ”K-Katara, I swear I-.”
”You monster.” Katara growled.
When her head lifted back up, the same black eyes were on her face, the black goo dripping down like that last figure Sokka had seen. She seemed as if she was being controlled like a puppet. Her movements were too sharp and precise to be a puppet though.
”Katara please, you have to-.”
She snarled before shooting out a blast of water, pinning him down to the ground. Sokka struggled underneath, letting out warbled gasps and squeaks. He thrashed his legs around before managing to somehow crawl out from the watery prison.
Sokka scrambled away, watery tendrils nearly grabbing him by his feet. He barely managed to slip away from his raging sister. He made a beeline to his room, slammed the door, and crumpled to the floor. He threw his boomerang across the room, the metal thing lodged into the wall. He ran a hand through his slick and messy hair, hot tears pouring down his face.
Is this real? Where am I? What happened with Katara? Who’s that other figure? Why was my boomerang cover in- oh hell I’m going to be sick. I-.
Another sharp and precise knock was heard at the door.
///
“Has anyone seen Sokka?” Katara asked during breakfast.
”I have not.” Zuko replied. “Weird. He usually hates missing Fire Nation breakfasts.”
Aang turned to Toph, who had been uncharacteristically quiet this whole meal. “You good? Heh, maybe ya worried about your ‘lily livers’?”
Toph stuck her tongue out to the Avatar. “Whatever twinkle toes. If you don’t mind, I would like to be excused.”
Zuko and Aang nodded, though Katara stared on just a little longer as the earth-bender left.
///
“Oi boomerang boy, ya in there?” Toph pounded on the door.
”Get the hell away!” Toph took a startled step back. That was not the reaction she was expecting. But she could guess why.
”Sokka, what happened last night?” Toph asked, her voice now leveled and clear. “Was it the nightmares again?”
Silence followed with the sounds of scrambling. Sokka opened the door to see the blind girl standing in front, arms crossed. His voice sounded somewhat stuffy and hoarse. “T-Toph..? Please look at me.”
”You know I can’t.”
“You know what I mean.”
”Fine.” Toph huffed before lifting her head up to where she guessed Sokka’s eyelevel was. “That better?”
She could hear a sigh of relief from the boy. “I-… i-is this a dream?”
”No, it’s real you dummy.” Toph huffed. “What happened last night? You threw your boomerang at the wall. I could hear it.”
Sokka fell silent before slamming the door in front of Toph. Toph yelped in surprise before scowling. “I’m getting Katara.”